Clinical Ash Barty stays on Serena Williams collision course
Ashleigh Barty has passed the sternest test yet of her US Open title credentials to equal her best-ever run in New York and edge ever closer to a blockbuster quarter-final with Serena Williams.
Barty delivered a serving masterclass class to reach the last 16 for the second straight year with a clinical 7-5 6-3 victory over rising Greek Maria Sakkari on Friday.
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Sakkari, seeded 30th, had beaten Barty last year in Indian Wells but Australia's world No.2 played the match on her terms from the outset.
The French Open champion fired down 10 aces and dropped serve only once while breaking Sakkari four times during the 87-minute work-out on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Barty’s win sees her become the only woman this year to make at least the fourth round in each of the year’s grand slams.
Ash Barty wins and becomes the only woman to reach the second week at all 4 Slams in 2019.
(Halep was the only other with a chance entering #USOpen)— Trenton Jocz (@TrentonJocz) August 30, 2019
Ash Barty into the fourth round, only WTA player to reach atleast 4R at all Majors this year 🔥🔥 #USOpen
— amy (@amyampaire) August 30, 2019
I love Ash Barty. Go ledge 👏🏼
— cass (@blackflamingo17) August 30, 2019
5 straight Slam 4th Rounds for Ash Barty #USOpen
— Tom Hockman (@Tom_Hockman) August 30, 2019
"This is an incredible court. New York is an incredible city and last year I felt like an adopted American playing with Coco (Vandeweghe) in the doubles, so I'm glad you haven't forgotten," Barty said after enjoying clear crowd favouritism during the match.
"Maria is an incredible competitor, a great mover around the court and plays her best tennis when she's on the move and so it was important for me to try and dictate without going into her patterns.
"It's tricky to play a friend but I was really happy with the way I able to close out those two sets."
Barty will face either China's 18th seed Qiang Wang or unseeded Frenchwoman Fiona Ferro next on Sunday, with the winner likely strike Williams in the last eight.
Continuing her relentless quest for a record-equalling 24th grand slam singles title, eighth-seeded Williams swatted aside Karolina Muchova 6-3 6-2 in her third-round match.
Barty and Williams were also slated to collide in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, only for Australia's then-world No.1 to suffer a shock fourth-round loss to unseeded American Alison Riske.
With AAP